Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 402 AM EDT Thu Sep 07 2017 Valid 12Z Thu Sep 07 2017 - 12Z Sat Sep 09 2017 ...Temperatures continuing to be well above normal for much of the Western U.S.... A slow moving cold front will continue to track eastward offshore the East Coast into the weekend. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop over Florida near the trailing end of the frontal boundary. Based on NHC's current track for Hurricane Irma, south Florida will begin to have tropical-storm-force winds by early Saturday morning... reaching northeast Florida by Sunday morning and central South Carolina by Sunday evening. Heavy Rain is forecast for south Florida by late Friday in association with the outer bands of Hurricane Irma. A moderate risk has been issued for this area. Behind the departing cold front off the East Coast, temperatures will be below seasonable values across much of the eastern half of the nation with afternoon highs 5 to 10 degrees below normal. The well-above normal temperatures across the West will begin to moderate as an upper-level trough and surface low pressure system approaches the Pacific Northwest. Elevated fire weather threat will persist across parts of the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West where red flag warnings are in effect , as well as, large active fire complexes. Elsewhere, monsoonal moisture streaming into the Southwest and southern Rockies should keep mainly diurnally driven showers and Thunderstorms across these regions through the short range period. Energy dropping southward along the west coast may bring an increase in activity today with WPC highlighting parts of the region in a marginal to slight risk for flash flooding. And while Hurricane Katia in the western Gulf of Mexico is not expected to directly impact the US, parts of far south Texas may see some light to moderate precipitation associated with the system. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php